Heritage 130P or Star Travel 80?

[li'l john]

Hello everyone I'm Li'l John and a newbie still trying to decide on my first scope. After many hours research on the internet i have come up with these two scopes and wondered if any owners out there could give me their opinions of them.

I really need a scope that is light (I'll be using it on a flat roof) and it can't be big or bulky as I ride a motorcycle, so portability is a big thing for me. I know I may have to give up the idea of riding with it on my back but I have only occasional use of a car.

Price is a factor too - I don't know how long my interest will last, so I don't want to spend over £200 tops.

Both these scopes get good reviews on the net but I've seen very few by owners. I'd really appreciate your help, thanks, Li'l John.

[Chris H]

The Heritage is a great scope and with it's 5 inch aperture gathers more than twice as much light as the Startravel, it is a competent performer. I reckon you could just about fit it in a ruck sack. The EQ1 mount on the Startravel would probably be a bit wobbly whilst the Alt/Az / Dobsonian mount of the Heritage would be rock solid but it would need to be on something to avoid you using it kneeling or sitting on the floor.

[li'l john]

Thanks Chris, that's very helpful. I have a couple of rucksacks, one of them fairly big, 85litres. I have a small wooden table that I could use on the roof.

[nightfisher]

I had a startravel 80 a good while back, its a nice little scope but will only really be good for lunar and planets though you should see a few messier objects with it, but its nice and compact

[li'l john]

Thanks Nightfisher, I appreciate your comments. Li'l John.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I dont think i would want to strap the Heritage onto a bike for transit. The collimation could be knocked way off if you hit a bump. Smaller scopes like the startravel 80 would be more portable but you loose the apeture size. These small refractors are really good for the Moon and planets and many of the larger Messier objects.

I'd say go with the Heritage though because you wont always be traveling on the bike and it would be a better scope to use at home.

[ollypenrice]

I've done a lot of motorcycling and a lot of stargazing and I would NOT take a reflector on a motorcycle. Only a refractor would be a good idea and even that should be well isolated from vibration. A simple alt-az mount like a camera tripod would also be the way. Bits will fall off an EQ mount and vanish... The ST80 would not be a bad idea and if you get into astronomy it will do all sorts of things for you as you progress. I have a couple as guidescopes and have used them as super-finders on a big scope as well.

Olly

[jgs001]

Given your requirements, I'd go with the ST80,. I started with the Konus version of that scope, and had some great views, including (although it took me quite a while to work out what I was looking at, and that I had actually found them, the galaxies m81 and m82, and m1, the crab nebula (very small and quite faint). If you are also going to be using it at home, then the 130 would be best. If you have a camera tripod, then you could have both... get the ST80 in OTA only guise for £85 and the 130 for £127, I know it's a little over the budget...

oh, I can't comment on the 130, I've never used a reflector...